alimony
nounUK /ˈæl.ɪ.mə.ni/ · US /ˈæl.ə.moʊ.ni/
Etymology Known since the 17th century, from Latin alimōnia (“food, support, nourishment, sustenance”) (English aliment, as in alimentary), itself from alō (“to nourish”) + -mōnia (“action, state, condition”).
1
Law Derogatory, Sometimes A court-mandated allowance made to a former spouse by a divorced or legally separated person.
- In that case he has to pay her alimony even if there are no children, and if she is one of those smart ones, interested in nothing but a good living and independence, she is set for life.1938 November 11, Westbrook Pegler, “Fair Enough”, in The Evening Independent, St. Petersburg, Florida, retrieved 20 Dec 2008, page A1:
- Who won, huh? Nobody. Used to be sex was the only free thing, No longer. Alimony… palimony… it's all financial. Love is an illusion.1985, Joel Schumacher, Carl Kurlander, St. Elmo's Fire (motion picture), spoken by Kevin Dolenz (Andrew McCarthy):
1 more example
- Audball's latest pickup didn't seem to care where they were, or anything at all about alimony, palimony, or child support […]2002, James A. Abrahamson, Confessions of a Diplomatic Pouch Clerk, page 192:
2
Obsolete Nourishment, sustenance, especially for one's spirit.
- […]while we eate the bread of sorrow, drinking the wine of compunction, wee hunger and thirst after heauenly things, and shall be comforted. This is the constant alimonie of the righteous, at dinner and supper, in life and death[…]1626, Sampson Price, Londons remembrancer: for the staying of the contagious sicknes of the plague by Dauids memoriall, pages 27–28:
- […] What marvell if our corne faile us, when wee faile God in the good employment of our corne?[…]So that drunkennesse, gluttony, fraud, covetisme, the unworthy receiving, or not receiving of the Sacraments, and a million more are all in cause, why God denies this fruitfull alimonie, which formerlie he gave. And doe we then aske what is the cause? when as our sinnes so superabundant are.1633, John Randal, Noble Blastus the honor of a lord chamberlaine: and of a good bed-chamber-man: or The courtier justified in conditions of peace, pages 32–33:
1 more example
- His manner is to put three or foure ſtones into a ſpoone, and ſo putting them into his mouth together, ſvvallovvs them all dovvn one after another; […] [H]aving the advantage of this ſtrange vvay of alimony, he ſold his allovvance of provant at great rates; […]1653, John Bulwer, “Scene XVIII. Strange Inventions of Certain Nations in Ordering Their Armes, Hands and Nailes.”, in Anthropometamorphosis: Man Transform’d; or, The Artificial Changling […], 2nd edition, London: […] William Hunt, →OCLC, pages 307–308:
- Derived terms
- alimonious, alimony drone, manimony, nonalimony, palimony, vaginamony
- Related terms
- aliment, alimentary, child support